


The Blunt Priestess and the Friendly Demon

by Suzurin



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/M, One Word Prompts, Originally Posted on Tumblr
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2020-02-27 12:38:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18739195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suzurin/pseuds/Suzurin
Summary: A collection of drabbles about one of my favorite underrated ships.Spoilers ahead! Beware if you haven't read up to chapter 64, the end of the Illuminati arc.





	1. Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Rin stares down at Izumo, his popsicle slipping out of his mouth to its untimely demise, a question flitters through his mind: how does he always seem to find her when she’s crying?

As Rin stares down at Izumo, his popsicle slipping out of his mouth to its untimely demise, a question flitters through his mind: how does he always seem to find her when she’s crying?

She glares past a cascade of tears at him, her face flushing a mortified red. Her shaking hands threaten to tear apart the volume of manga she holds. The words “ _Kimi Monogatari_ ” are written across the cover in big, bubbly letters, which surround a blushing boy and girl.

There’s no way around it. Rin has witnessed something he shouldn’t have.

He edges back toward the corner he just turned to get here. Back toward the carefree stroll he was on just a second ago, before he looked in the face of pure maiden fury. Back toward when his biggest worry was what dinner to make for Yukio, instead of worrying if he’s the dish on the menu for Mike and Uke tonight. Why, oh why, “why is Izumo here?”

Oops. He said that out loud, huh?

But from the way she blinks, he’s caught her off-guard, and her momentary glance to the side gives him the chance he needs. “I was… waiting,” she mutters.

He pauses mid-escape. Come to think of it, why is she sitting on the stoop of his dormitory? “Waiting for…?”

Izumo seems to curl into herself more, look away from him more, blush more, tremble more. “F-For…” She jumps at the rustling of the plastic bag around his wrist as he scratches his head in confusion. Her brow furrows in determination.

She hops up and whirls to face him, pinning him to the spot with her glare. “For you, Rin Okumura!” The challenge in her voice activates his fight-or-flight response, but since he is rooted to the spot and would never attack her, it’s an ultimately useless burst of adrenaline that surges through his veins.

Her hands deftly return her manga to her bag and prepare to grab something else as she says, “This… is payback.” Energy rolls off her in waves, and his tail bristles in fear. Dimly, he wishes he could see his friends one last time, so he could tell them all how much he loves them—

“Here!” An object is thrust before him and his vision goes white. Ah, the end comes so quickly…

…

Or maybe not. His consciousness gradually returns to him as his vision clears enough to see what looks like a three-tiered bento box. Each level of the round, black box has purple flowers painted across it. The flowers’ hue matches Izumo’s hair, which he realizes is now all he can see of her, as she is bowing at a truly impressive angle.

Numbly, he takes the gift from her extended arms. She whirls away from him at an impossible speed, pointedly facing the other direction. This is all… so very weird. But he still pops off the lid.

Soba noodles, decorated neatly with various toppings, stare back at him.

Izumo shakily reaches out her arm again, holding what looks like a small, cute teapot. “Th–… The sauce.”

Rin accepts it. Stares at it. Wonders why it won’t tell him any of the answers he seeks. Realizes it’s just a teapot.

Although his brain doesn’t work, his mouth still does, as he opens it and finally says, “Thank you?” Blinks. “Wait, p— you said— payback? What for— why this— _what??_ ”

She takes a deep, shaky breath. Her best friends’ encouraging words still ring in her ears, telling her to _go for it, don’t worry, just be honest!_ It takes a lot of courage to not just give in to her instincts and deny everything and run. But then, Izumo Kamiki has always been courageous.

“It’s… not payback, exactly. I don’t know how to even start paying back what you all… what you did for me. But… it’s a thank you.” She turns to him. His anxiously wagging tail catches her eye, and… she smiles. “Thank you, Rin, for saving me.”

His breath catches in his throat. The presents start to slip from his hands, but he scrambles to catch them, and by the time he looks back up, she’s running away. He switches between staring after her and staring at the bento, her beautiful smile still painted in his mind, before the cookbook in his brain finally gives him the final piece of the puzzle:

It’s Izumo soba.

He runs after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be sort of a companion piece to go along with this. It'll be all about Izumo's side of things!
> 
> Boy, I'd really like to try Izumo soba one day.
> 
> Link to the Rizumo Discord: https://discord.gg/BwvAE3h


	2. Savior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tap.
> 
> Izumo stares at the back of Rin’s head, watching him agonize over the problem on the board until he gives up and tries to quietly threaten Yukio into giving him the answer. A smack across the back of his head is the response he gets. He grumbles as he trudges back to his seat, pausing for a second when his eyes flicker up and catch her gaze.
> 
> She looks away.
> 
> Tap. Tap.

_Tap._

Izumo stares at the back of Rin’s head, watching him agonize over the problem on the board until he gives up and tries to quietly threaten Yukio into giving him the answer. A smack across the back of his head is the response he gets. He grumbles as he trudges back to his seat, pausing for a second when his eyes flicker up and catch her gaze.

She looks away.

_Tap. Tap._

His voice naturally carries across the courtyard. Izumo half-listens to Paku and Shiemi talk, half-eavesdrops on Rin bickering with Shima. It sounds like some sort of argument about who’s cooler or some nonsense like that. A list is mentioned, then produced. Rin’s laughter echoes in her ears.

She smiles.

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

Rin bolts out of his seat, yelling something about a sale he can’t miss, and dashes out of the classroom. Something hits Izumo’s foot, and she looks down to see the hair clip Suguro gave Rin. She picks it up and stares at it, contemplating, before nodding slightly to herself and standing to leave. It’s almost anticlimactic, really, since Rin apparently got sucked into conversation with Shura only a few steps outside of the room, and Izumo is able to return it to him right away. Their fingers brush momentarily as she hands it to him.

His warmth lingers.

_Tap._

Izumo stops drumming her fingers against the table as she sighs, gazing out her room’s window. Shiemi and Paku exchange glances. Their friend is particularly out of it today, and has responded pretty half-heartedly to any questions about what’s wrong. Paku grins. Time to break out the big guns.

“Hey, Shiemi, how’s Rin? Still cute?”

The effect is instantaneous. Paku has an outraged, red-faced Izumo on one side, and a naively confused Shiemi on the other. “Rin? Um… oh, yes, I saw him and Kuro napping together yesterday! That was so adorable.” Shiemi smiles delightedly at the memory, oblivious to the conflicting emotions running across Izumo’s face.

Paku, however, does not miss that. “If only you’d taken a picture! Too bad. Right, Izumo?” There is a feigned innocence in her smile, which Izumo spots and bristles at.

“W-Why would I—?! That’d be weird! Who’d want that?!” She crosses her arms and glares into the distance, grumbling incoherently under her breath. “Why would I even want to look at his dumb face in the first place…?”

Shiemi tilts her head to the side. “Oh…? But Kamiki, you were staring at him a lot today.” Her friend stiffens in surprise. “I thought for sure you two were getting along better now…”

Paku leans in, expression full of mischief. Izumo starts shaking, eyes darting back and forth as her face flushes an iridescent red. “I-I…. that’s because—! Uh!” She splutters for a bit before giving up, her tense posture deflating like a balloon. Her voice drops in volume, almost too quiet to hear as she murmurs, “I… want to do something to thank Oku—… to thank Rin.”

Her friends blink in surprise, then melt into soft smiles. She is just too cute like this. They scoot in a little towards her, gently encouraging her to go on. “I-I mean, of course, I want to thank everyone.” A certain pink-haired boy pops into her mind, and Izumo rolls her eyes. “Okay, maybe not everyone, but… I want to show everyone how much I appreciate them, and Rin is the only one I’m not sure how to do that with.” She fiddles with the end of one of her pigtails, looking equal parts frustrated and embarrassed, and Paku and Shiemi both giggle at the sight.

“If it’s Rin, then I know that anything you put all your heart into will make him happy,” Shiemi says, clapping her hands together with a smile.

Paku laughs a bit. “Shiemi, that’s too broad! But let’s see… If it’s for Okumura, then how about cooking something? Seems like the way to his heart is through his stomach,” She says with a wink.

Izumo stares down at the table… then nods decisively. “Okay. I’ll cook something,” she declares, cheeks reddening. Paku and Shiemi exchange bright smiles, then both grab one of Izumo’s hands.

“Go for it, Izumo! We’re rooting for you!” Paku cheers, grasping one of Izumo’s hands.

“Don’t worry, Kamiki! You and Rin are two of the most wonderful people I know!” Shiemi’s eyes sparkle as she clasps Izumo’s other hand between her own.

“Just be honest with yourself! It’ll all be fine!”

Izumo’s shoulders twitch at that.

Honest, huh?

She stands now alone in her kitchen, staring blankly at a cookbook. Her friends’ encouragements swirl around and around in her head, until all that remains is that one statement, that one word. It’s got her paralyzed, unable to move forward.

Izumo is… many things. She’s smart, she’s capable, she’s brave, she’s a take-no-nonsense kind of girl… but she also knows her flaws better than anyone. Honesty wasn’t something that came easily to her when it concerned matters of the heart.

_You and I, we’re two of a kind._

Maybe Shima was right. Maybe they were the same.

But…

Her fingers still tingle with warmth. The warmth of her friends. The warmth of him.

She shakes her head. Even if she  _was_ like that… that didn’t have to be the case anymore! No one decides what path she walks down but her! That’s the gift he gave her—the gift they  _all_ gave her that day.

She makes her decision.

“Thank you, Rin, for saving me.”

And, because she can’t resist, because she’s never honest, because she  _wants_ to be honest, because she  _can_ , she gives him Izumo soba.

“ _Izumo!_ ”

She doesn’t have to look behind her to know what’s happening, but she looks anyways, because her savior chasing after her with a red, bewildered face is a sight she wants to remember.

Izumo throws back her head and laughs.

_Finally, she’s free._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was actually posting these for the "OTP week challenge" for Rin/Izumo on Tumblr, but... I failed so hard. These two were the only ones I managed to post. I can't remember what life is like without writer's block!
> 
> Link to the Rizumo Discord https://discord.gg/BwvAE3h


	3. Blind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ("Colorblind" AU - you only see in shades of your soulmate's eye color, until you touch them.)
> 
> Red.
> 
> Isn’t that an odd color for someone’s eyes? Rin doesn’t know for sure, since everyone’s eyes look red to him anyway, but judging by the way the adults react when he completes the color test, it’s certainly unusual.

Red.

Isn’t that an odd color for someone’s eyes? Rin doesn’t know for sure, since _everyone’s_ eyes look red to him anyway, but judging by the way the adults react when he completes the color test, it’s certainly unusual.

He hates it, at first. Everything is the color of blood, of fire, of destruction, and that makes the kids’ screams of “ _you’re a demon_ ” ring just a bit louder in his ears. He didn’t ask for this, for any of this. He just wants to be normal—someone Father Fujimoto can be proud of.

But he finds himself more and more curious every year; what could his soulmate possibly be like? The bearer of these unique eyes. Would they be like him? Endlessly hard-working, but ultimately rejected by society? Or would they be an all-forgiving angel, beloved by everyone?

Either way… if they’re his soulmate, that means they have to accept him. Be proud of him. Love him.

And knowing that there’s someone out there for him makes him stand a little taller, puff out his chest a little more, ignore the jeers and shouts and his own self-doubt.

 

 

 

But...

Father Fujimoto’s blood is so, so red.

 

 

 

He hears his flames are “blue,” and that they’re special and feared because of this. But what does that even look like, anyway? His flames, all flames, _everything_ looks the same to him.

What does he look like to everyone else?

 

 

 

Blue.

It’s a pretty common color, apparently. The color of the sky and sea, of life and wonder. It’s all so, so pretty, but Izumo can’t help but think her reflection doesn’t look right with blue eyes. Her mother tells her it’s because her eyes are “red,” actually, which is the opposite.

Izumo tries not to believe in such stuff, but somewhere in her wonders if that doesn't have a deeper meaning.

 

 

 

It helps. She can pretend that the pools of liquid lining the hallway are just pools of water. That everyone is still alive. That her transformed mother isn’t a killer, just a victim.

She can pretend that Maria isn’t dead. That she can still rely on others.

She can pretend for just a little longer.

 

 

 

She hears that Satan’s “blue flames” are to be feared… but how can she fear them when every flame she sees is blue? It all seems so stupid. What, should she just be afraid of every flame, then? Constantly terrified that Satan himself had come to get her?

No. Izumo Kamiki refuses to live her life that way, so she rises above that fear. If Satan does appear one day, well, then that’s when she’ll start worrying.

 

 

 

He stumbles into the classroom, curious and apprehensive and maybe a little afraid, and she glances up at the noise, irritated at having been interrupted in her conversation with Paku. Their gazes connect for a mere second—

And they both look away, but not without an idling thought of how the color they see suits the other.

 

 

 

And when he loses control, bursting into flames and rampaging wildly—while everyone else stands stunned or cowers in fear, Izumo Kamiki runs toward him. Runs toward her idiot friend and the blue flames she’s seen all her life.

He spins to face her just as she reels back and slaps him.

When her palm hits his cheek, stars burst behind their eyes, colors flood into their views, and tears pour down their faces. Rin barely has time to register it before his face hits the dirt.

And standing there, staring down at an unconscious Rin, Izumo can’t help but shout, “Really?!”

Because, god, this is just so _stupid_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iiiiii'm cheating a little bit, because "Blind" was actually the last day's prompt in the original challenge... but it was the next one I had finished, since it was such a rich idea, so here I am, posting it.
> 
> Honestly, I might revisit this AU for a later fanfic? I feel like I barely tapped its full potential.
> 
> Link to the Rizumo Discord: https://discord.gg/BwvAE3h


	4. Apocalypse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their time ran out. Gehenna Gate was officially open.

Their time ran out. Gehenna Gate was officially open.

The mid-morning sky is pitch black as Lucifer’s army clashes with Samael’s forces. Hardly anything can be heard over the din of war, the screams of the innocent fading one by one as countless lives are lost. Otherworldly beings pour through rips in space, ready and willing to join in the complete destruction of everything around them. It’s brutal, it’s chaotic, and above all else… it seems utterly hopeless.

Yet, two teenage girls dash quickly through the forests, heading further and further toward the heart of ruin. Despite being clad in school uniforms, the ease with which they battle off supernatural forces and the fluidity of their synchronization suggest intense training and experience.

Izumo Kamiki and Shiemi Moriyama fly through the trees, their faces grim and their hearts sharing one goal.

“We’re still going the right way, right?” Izumo shouts, not even pausing to look at her friend. Her twintails whip behind her as they race forward, narrowly avoiding tripping over hazardous roots and jagged rocks.

“Yes! Nee says he’s just a little farther!” Shiemi calls back. She’s clearly beginning to flag, but sheer determination pushes her to keep running, running, _running_ through the exhaustion and burning pain—

—until a clawed hand grabs her leg and heaves her through the air, snatching the ground right out from under her. Her involuntary scream is cut short because, already, Mike and Uke are there, cutting off the offending arm and freeing her. Nee spawns a woollybush to cushion her fall, but before Shiemi can thank it, she catches sight of their surroundings.

“Nee! Barrier!”

Thick bramble bursts from its body and encompasses the surroundings just as a swarm of demons pounce forth. Shiemi and Izumo stand in the middle of a slowly hardening cocoon, watching as the desperate beings claw at the thorns that tighten around them. They snarl and gnash, their attention solely focused on the prey before them, even as their bodies rip and tear apart on the barrier.

Despite this, the inhuman howling only seems to grow louder. “Dammit, there’s more of them,” Izumo spits out, spinning around in all directions to try to ascertain the situation. “Mike! Uke! Where are you?!”

Nee places its arm on Shiemi’s leg, drawing its master’s attention toward the deep gashes found there. Shiemi stares at it thoughtfully, then up to her friend, then up to the cocoon surrounding them. She finally settles her gaze on the direction they’d been travelling.

“... Kamiki. You have to get to Rin.”

Izumo, who had been strategizing with Mike and Uke, freezes. She whips around to face Shiemi, utter bewilderment meeting a cool calm. “Wha— _What_ are you saying?! _You’re_ the one he needs right now! _Both_ of them do!”

Shiemi shakes her head, gesturing to her leg. “I’m not going to make it there in time. And right now, I have the best shot of fending these demons off.” Izumo scoffs without malice, clearly intent on arguing, but Shiemi gestures around them. “Look! This is my element. They can’t beat me here.” Her eyes are set with that same foolhardy courage Izumo’s seen so many times before. “Please, leave this to me, Kamiki.”

The other tamer stomps her foot, hands clenched painfully into fists. “You can’t seriously expect me to leave you here—”

“ **Izumo!!** ” Shiemi’s cherubic features harden into a mask of stony determination. “Just like I have something I must do, right now, there’s something only you can do. I believe in you! Now, **_go!_** _”_

Long vines of wisteria shoot out from Nee’s chest, wrapping around Izumo and pulling her up and away through an opening in the cocoon. The last she sees of Shiemi is her soft, tender smile… and then the bramble closes up completely.  
  


* * *

  
Izumo thrashes, curses, and kicks violently at the vines the whole way through, but they’re undeterred. They seem to stretch endlessly, weaving seamlessly around every tree and bush, before they finally clear the woods and reach their limit. Upon gently depositing her on top of a steep hill, they rapidly recoil and vanish from sight. The fallen petals have made a perfect trail, and she has half a mind to stomp her way right back… until she sees the scene beyond the crest.

The apocalypse, pure and simple, is upon them.

But… a figure in the distance has her running down the slope before she even realizes it. The hair is too light and all wrong, his face too sunken, and god, when did he get so skinny—but there’s no way she’d mistake him for anyone else.

“ _Rin!”_

His gaze snaps to her, shifting instantly from piercing to panicked. He stands alone in a clearing, his clothing showing clear signs of battle, but seeming uninjured. There’s no sign of Yukio’s presence—not yet. The knot in Izumo’s chest finally untangles with relief.

Good. She isn’t too late.

“I-Izumo?! You shouldn’t be here!” Despite his words, his arms still raise up as though he means to catch her when she starts skidding down the rest of the way.

But as with all things, she stubbornly resists this, digging her heels in firmly to stop a few feet away from him, ignoring her ankles’ aching protest. The glare she gives him could wither a man twice his size, and dimly, Rin thinks that he’s glad he’s more demon than man at the moment.

She inhales sharply.

_There’s something only you can do._

“ _You_ ,” Izumo says with an impressive amount of venom in one word, “are an absolute _idiot_.”

Rin’s mouth drops open.

“I mean seriously, did you make a bet with someone to get dumber and dumber everyday?! Every time I think you’ve finally peaked, you go off and find a way to prove me wrong. And the worst part is, you don’t even take your own advice!” She crosses her arms firmly across her chest, successfully managing to not flinch when one of her nastier injuries reopens.

Rin frantically throws his arms up in the air, his expression one of pure bewilderment. “ _What_ the _hell_ — what is going on here?! Why are you here— no, why are you angry at me— _no_ , did you _seriously_ just come here to get mad at me?! What did I do?!” He pauses, spotting the blood dripping off her arm. “Wait, you’re blee—”

Her glare somehow grows icier as she takes a step forward. “Don’t try to change the subject. You know exactly what you were about to do.” Step. “You were about to sacrifice yourself.” He swallows. Another step. “You want to protect your friends, your brother, and everyone, and somewhere in that twisted, idiot logic of yours, you worked out a way to save everyone _except yourself_.” The last step puts her within arm’s reach, the closest they’ve been in a long, long time. “I think we both know better than anyone what being on the receiving end of _that_ feels like.”

He can’t hold her gaze. The second he looks away, she flicks him on the forehead.

“If you’ve reached the end of what you can do alone, then rely on us. We’re here for you.”

His eyes widen.

And maybe it’s because when she’s this close, she can really see how different he looks and it hurts her heart; maybe it’s because he looks like he’s been staring down the gallows for so long that he dares not imagine a break in the rope; or maybe it’s because the world is threatening to pull apart at the seams around them and she lost the will to pretend she didn’t care so, so long ago—any one of these reasons could be the one that has her hand gently carding through his hair.

Rin’s frozen under her touch, looking all too fragile and scared for her liking, and she tousles his hair a little rougher. “This white really doesn’t suit you.” Her voice is so soft, the kind of soft he’s only ever heard her use for Paku and Shiemi, and sometimes Kuro when she thinks no one is listening. She lowers her hand and ghosts her fingertips along his cheek, almost as if by accident, and he subconsciously leans into the touch. Her heart pounds with one, decisive _thump_. “Should I start calling you ‘grandpa,’ old man?”

He blinks once. Twice. Three times before saying, “ _What?”_

She snorts and drops her hand, sneering as she shrugs as condescendingly as possible. “Oh sorry, didn’t realize you were hard of hearing now too. I _said_ , do you—”

He splutters. “Who’re you calling grandpa?! First of all, I’d be a Grade A silver fox—”

“Did you seriously just use the word ‘fox’ because it’s _me_ —”

Their bickering fills the air and, given the setting, it’s an entirely ridiculous picture. When students read records of war in the classroom, very rarely are there entries that go, “and then the commander argued with his classmate about how much of a catch he was before setting off to battle.”

(But for this war, if they all were to survive, perhaps someone would write—)

An approaching presence has Rin snap to attention, and he’s momentarily thrown when he realizes that he’s actually relaxed and focused. There isn’t even a trace of the destructive spiral he was going down before…

He looks to Izumo, who already has Mike and Uke summoned by her side. Before _she_ arrived. Their eyes meet and she grins like a shot fox. “You might as well just stand back and let me finish this whole thing. Wouldn’t want you to break a hip out there.”

Laughter bursts from his lips. “You never heard of respecting your elders, missy?” His hand slips briefly into her own, squeezing hard.

_Thanks, Izumo._

(—Perhaps someone would write about the group of friends who knew that even the son of Satan had doubts and fears, and the shrine maiden who pulled him back.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOO Rizumo Week 2020 is officially here!! This was for Day 2: Apocalypse. I hope you all enjoyed my one day late offering!
> 
> Link to the Rizumo Discord: https://discord.gg/BwvAE3h


	5. Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the first Western-style wedding he’s ever been to, and though beautiful, good _lord_ it must have been expensive. If it weren’t for their mission, he’s pretty sure he’d never get the chance to experience something so fancy in his life.

Rin tugs at the starched white collar of his button-up shirt, groaning loudly as sweat trickles down his temples. “Man, it’s boiling out here,” he whines, trying desperately to flag down one of the many waiters carrying pitchers of ice water.

His companion jabs him in the side, seeming to only get more irritated when he yelps loudly in response. “Pipe down,” Izumo hisses, “we can’t draw attention to ourselves.”

He rubs his side. “Yeah, yeah, Shura’s orders…”

“No, you idiot. This is _their_ day. _They_ should get all the attention.” She gestures in front of them.

A recently wedded bride and groom sit side by side at a lavish table, their eyes focused solely on the standing maid of honor as she tearfully recites her toast. To their right sits an as-of-yet unused dance floor with a DJ rechecking his equipment and acoustics. To their left, front, and pretty much everywhere else under this tent sit their extended family and friends, a startling amount of people brought together to witness their union.

Silky linens drape across the ceiling, serving to disguise the tent’s basic structure, while the embedded fairy lights seem to bless the happy couple with their mystic light. More white tables and golden chairs are crammed together in this space than really seems wise, especially given the early summer heat, but only the guests’ children (and Rin) seem to be complaining. There are several buffet tables off to the side, thankfully still with the food covered so as not to distract the guests, but the half-demon can tell even from where they sit at the back that there is some premium cuisine waiting.

It’s the first Western-style wedding he’s ever been to, and though beautiful, good _lord_ it must have been expensive. If it weren’t for their mission, he’s pretty sure he’d never get the chance to experience something so fancy in his life.

Still, he looks back at Izumo, chuckling even through the disgruntled glare she sends him. “ _What?”_ She grits out.

“You really are nice, Eyebrows.”

She jabs him again in the same exact spot. “I told you to quit calling me that!”

The bruise he’s developing almost convinces him to listen to her, but it can’t be helped; both of them were dressed by Shura for the occasion, and Izumo, in that lace red dress carved with intricate designs, looks… unsettlingly nice. Like, pretty. Like a really pretty girl.

Rin finds it hard to look directly at her, much less call her by her first name. It’s a lot easier to deal with an angry, violent Izumo, so he lets his elementary school boy instincts take over. A strong urge to tug on her ponytail overtakes him, but one look reveals that her peppy new hairdo has exposed the nape of her neck, where a few locks of hair cling to her glistening skin—

He tears his eyes away, forcing himself to calm down. Ooh, that was dangerous, dangerous. At least he knows now that he’s not the only one suffering from the heat…

These thoughts seem to only be making him feel hotter, though, so he instead runs over the details of the mission again. A report came in that one of the many, many guests here (seriously, were there hundreds?!) is actually a demon. While his precise motivations are unknown, the report indicated that he had some great plan in the making that could bring harm to everyone there, and he had to be brought down before that could happen.

However, some quick reconnaissance revealed that the only time they’d be able to get to him would be at the reception, which meant they had to find and deal with him discreetly—a stealth mission, as Rin liked to call it. The size of their team also had to be minimal to avoid arousing suspicion, so Shura brought along Rin and Izumo, stating that she “couldn’t afford to take her eyes off Rin, and their cover would work better with one of the girls.”

He hadn’t really minded, though when he questioned later why she hadn’t considered Shiemi, Shura gave him that mischievous smile he feared and said, “I trust Izumo to keep a _reaaaal_ close eye on ya.”

Maybe he should’ve paid more attention to the ominous feeling he got from her words… but considering how easily Shura had gotten them in, continuously weaving tales of her being a widower of a distant cousin, of Rin being her step-son (“That’s right, I’m a _mother_ —oh _thank you_ , I _do_ look too young! Nyahaha~”), of Izumo being his betrothed since they were little and how she’s practically family already… He probably shouldn’t doubt her, no matter _how_ embarrassed her lies made him.

“So beautiful…” Izumo whispers, catching his attention. Unfortunately for her, he cranes his head in the direction of her gaze before she can hide it. The blushing bride lies in that direction, smiling endlessly as she accepts congratulations and adulation.

Rin hums. “So you dream of that kind of thing too, huh?” It was intended as a simple question, more conversational than anything, but it sends his companion into complete silence. When he looks back to her, her eyes are distant and pained. He’s not sure why, but his instincts tell him that he messed up and needs to start panicking.

Thankfully, Shura picks that moment to swagger on up, playing the part of an indulgent partygoer almost too well. She stumbles and grabs onto the back of Izumo’s chair, feigning a moment of rest to lean down and mutter, “Possible target located. Go blend in on the dance floor and move on the code word ‘private’.” She’s off to the dance floor before either can react, already cozying up to a man who’s too interested to refuse.

Rin stands immediately, all too eager to put his energy to good use, and anxiously extends his hand to Izumo.

She contemplates it for a moment—he starts panicking because oh god, is it too sweaty, he should try to wipe it off, but she’s definitely already seen it and probably thinks he’s gross—before she takes it, standing with a grace that he never knew she had.

Right when they reach the dance floor, the music suddenly shifts, and—oh, god. Oh _god_ , it’s a _slow dance_. Rin hears snickering and glares at Shura, who’s clearly aware of his dilemma and enjoying it immensely. He somehow just _knows_ she set him up for this—but judging by the way she’s clinging to the target, it was probably for the sake of the mission, he realizes with a sigh. His mentor sure has a way of killing two birds with one stone…

Awkwardly clearing his throat too many times, he slowly shifts their hands and ghosts his other hand over Izumo’s waist. She rolls her eyes and pulls him _much_ closer, planting both of his hands on her waist and linking her own hands behind his neck. She forces him to sway gently with her because Rin is _frozen_ , his brain completely blue-screening, just a constant chant of _oh god oh god too close pretty girl smell good_.

“Have you got a clear lock on Miss Kirigakure?” she whispers, snapping him into a completely different sort of flustered. He robotically turns to check and realizes that Izumo had dragged him closer to eavesdrop, their pose mirroring every other couple around them. That knowledge helps him relax, his shoulders slumping in relief as he heaves a big sigh.

Fingers dig into the back of his neck and the pain reminds him to focus. “Owww— yes, we’re good!” he whisper-shouts. “But man, Eyebrows, you’re really good at these kinds of missions, huh?”

Although looking directly at her is still a challenge, it’s quite obvious that Izumo’s glaring at him as she ‘accidentally’ steps on his foot. “Whoops,” she deadpans. “Sorry, _Satan Boy_. Anyway, I don’t think it’s that I’m good at them so much as you’re extremely terrible.”

His eye twitches. The tip of her ponytail is right there, just _dangling right by his fingertips…_ but his aching toes and side advise against it.

They sway in silence for a moment, listening in for the code word over the soothing lull of the music. A soft giggling alerts Rin to the fact that the bride and groom have joined in. They look at each other like there’s no one else in the world, like every clichéd fairytale and love song has come to life between them. It’s as inspiring as it is beautiful, and despite the odd circumstances that led to him being there, he wishes these two strangers every happiness in the world.

And hopes beyond hope that even the son of Satan can have that someday too.

“About what you said earlier…”

He looks down at Izumo and is surprised to see her staring at his chest, furrowing her brow and worrying her bottom lip. “I wasn’t really… allowed to think about something so happy for my future. Loving someone— _trusting_ someone to that extent… It all seemed utterly impossible.”

When her eyes grow distant this time, he understands. The memories she relives aren’t just her own anymore. So when his grip on her reflexively tightens, drawing her nearer—it feels as though she’s sheltered from the world in his arms, his warmth a gentle, firm reminder that she’s not alone. Izumo looks up to him, feeling a wondrous sense of security and unrestrained joy, and a glorious smile blooms upon her lips.

“But thanks to you all… I have that freedom.”

Rin’s heart pounds violently in his chest.

All the things he’s been acutely trying to ignore flood his senses all at once: her face, usually sharp with hostility and anger, is soft and warm and mere inches from his own; a pretty red dusts her cheeks, matching her sparkling eyes, two priceless rubies; her slender waist, her silky hair… and _god_ did she smell good.

Was Izumo always this beautiful? And—this beautiful girl in his arms, blushing so prettily just for him—was she maybe—

“—nyahaha~ maybe we should go somewhere _private?”_

The pair springs into action, leaving Rin’s arms noticeably bereft as they flank Shura and the target off the dance floor.

He tries sneaking peeks at Izumo, but her stony expression conveys single-minded focus on the mission—until he catches her peeking at him too. Her whole body _jumps_ when they lock eyes, and even though she quickly whips her head away from him, he still watches in fascination as a furious red colors her skin, all the way from the tips of her ears down to her shoulders.

It sends a _thrill_ through him, one that tells him to hurry up and finish this mission so he can figure out what the _hell_ this—this _—whatever_ this is, this _potential_ between them.

And when they round the corner and he catches one last glimpse of the newlyweds, he sends them another blessing, ironic as it may be coming from him. Because thanks to them, to people like them, to all of their loves—it gives kids like him and Izumo a chance to dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuing my trend of being late for Rizumo Week 2020! Mmm boy, writing this chapter was difficult! I tried to make it a little more romantic than usual, and it turns out my brain hates that! Always admire good romance writers, folks! It's harder than it seems. Still, it's always fun to write from Rin's POV, and it was even more fun to include Shura this go-around.
> 
> Link to the Rizumo Discord: https://discord.gg/BwvAE3h


End file.
